Unlike other gems, the pearl is born of water and living creatures. Pearls begin as a foreign body embedded within a mollusk's shell. The animal's defense against the foreign body is to form a protective layer of nacre around the intruder. The culturing process simply entails planting a "seed" within the mollusk, normally either a plastic bead or a small piece of shell, nature takes its course and another pearl is born. Our cultured freshwater pearls come in an ever growing variety of shapes, sizes and colors, so whatever your fashion preference you are sure to find the pearl to suit your needs. Ancient beliefs about the origin of the pearl include: moonlight filled dewdrops and Aphrodite's tears of joy. Although not technically a stone, pearl is one of June's birthstones. Currently, the International Commission of Colored Gemstones (CIBJO) recognizes only five organic (once living material) gemstones: Ammolite, amber, pearl, jet, and coral. Also be sure to check out our freshwater pearl mixtures and our flawlessly crafted glass pearls by Jablonex and crystal pearls by Swarovski.

SWAROVSKI (art. 5500) Tear Drop beads feature flawlessly flashy facets and a vertical hole. These vertical hole drops are ideal for use in earring designs!Transform your fashions from ordinary to EXTRAORDINARY with SWAROVSKI! SWAROVSKI crystals have dominated the glass crystal industry for over a century. Their crystals reign supreme in precision, quality, variety, and style. If you want your designs to sparkle with unparalleled sophistication and distinction choose SWAROVSKI!

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Seed Beads

Preciosa Ornela rocaille seed beads are by far our most popular and versatile seed bead available. Preciosa Ornela rocaille seed beads are of superior quality, machine cut, and are highly valued for their use in bead stringing, bead weaving, embroidery and much much more! Preciosa seed beads are proven to be of the upmost value, and demonstrate the highest level of shape consistency.